I found it very difficult to rate this movie. As a stand alone Movie, I easily gave it a 9. As an adaptation, it rates an extremely disappointing 1.
I would not recommend anyone reading the book, for the first time, before they go and see the film or they will be severely disappointed. I spent the first 20 minutes trying to suspend what I "knew" from the book and trying to allow myself to accept the film on it's own merit.
It's brilliantly cast and acted and I loved it as a stand alone film.
I absolutely hated it as an adaptation and it would have been better had they not had to give the credit to Susan Cooper for this one. It is so loosely based upon the book, it is not funny. I understand, from an interview, that she wanted a lot more of her original story and less of the changes. According to the interview, she was waiting with sadness to see the final cut.
On the whole, I would have preferred something a bit closer to Susan Cooper's novel but as a stand alone film, I really did enjoy it.
I would not recommend anyone reading the book, for the first time, before they go and see the film or they will be severely disappointed. I spent the first 20 minutes trying to suspend what I "knew" from the book and trying to allow myself to accept the film on it's own merit.
It's brilliantly cast and acted and I loved it as a stand alone film.
I absolutely hated it as an adaptation and it would have been better had they not had to give the credit to Susan Cooper for this one. It is so loosely based upon the book, it is not funny. I understand, from an interview, that she wanted a lot more of her original story and less of the changes. According to the interview, she was waiting with sadness to see the final cut.
On the whole, I would have preferred something a bit closer to Susan Cooper's novel but as a stand alone film, I really did enjoy it.